The 2024 World Series may be over, but that won’t stop baseball fans from looking for their next ballpark.
But forget about visiting the stadium – this is one you can sleep in.
Es Con Field Hokkaido is a stadium on the Japanese island of Hokkaido with a grass field, a retractable roof and space for 35,000 spectators. But the most important thing for fans is the stadium hotel, with rooms overlooking the stadium where the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters play. The Fighters are the former team of Major League Baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani.
The stadium opens in March 2023 and is Tower Eleven Hotel, It has eight themed rooms with court views, including a clubhouse room that resembles a fighter’s locker room and features original lockers from the team’s old stadium, Sapporo Dome. Travelers staying here might store their pajamas in the same locker Ohtani once used.
Guests do not need game tickets as they can watch the games from their rooms.
Not surprisingly, these rooms are popular with die-hard Japanese baseball fans. Most rooms are reserved months in advance, but those who book early can still secure their reservations. But they don’t come cheap: Clubhouse rooms start at $719 on game days, a price that’s more likely to fluctuate considering they sleep five people. Think best friends sleepover ever for $144 per person.
Seventh inning soak
Hotel guests also enjoy another perk. They can sit in the hot springs and watch live games. Hot spring culture is central to Japanese life, and there are thousands of hot springs across Japan.
Hokkaido Es Con Field calls it the first baseball stadium in the world to have a natural hot spring overlooking the field. Developers dug 4,265 feet underground to reach the surface, according to HKS Architects, the Dallas firm that designed the stadium. The hotel also has a cold plunge pool and an adjoining bar where guests can order craft beer and edamame.
Guests can watch games in the sauna, whose railings are made from retired baseball bats.
Source: HNF
Note: Traditionally, bathing in hot springs requires no clothing, but swimsuits are required for the two open-air hot springs in the stadium. And for good reason: You might end up on the big screen.
Baseball-themed details abound throughout the spa area. Guests hung towels on the ends of sawn-off bats formerly used by Hokkaido Fighters players. There is also a sauna with railings also made from players’ bats. Dozens of game-used baseballs line the register, and the area is decorated with diamond-shaped tables.
The hotel is full of baseball touches, including a spa reception area.
Source: Oliver Horowitz
Guests who forget their swimsuits can purchase one from the vending machine (price: $6.50), and non-hotel guests can reserve a bathing suit (if space is available) for $26.
Datani’s old team
The Hokkaido Fighters were founded 78 years ago and compete in the Nippon Professional Baseball Pacific League (NPB).
A room with a view of Es Con Field Hokkaido, which will be built in Japan in 2023.
Source: Oliver Horowitz
The team drafted Ohtani in 2012 when he was 18 years old. in 2016.
The Fighters’ schedule is identical to Major League Baseball’s, with regular season games running from March through September. Watching games is a great window into Japanese culture. Teams bow to each other when taking the field, and batters often bow when entering the batter’s box – in honor of their opponents, the fans and the stadium itself.
overtime
Fans usually arrive at Hokkaido Es Con Stadium before the first game to participate in the pre-match celebrations. The stadium has its own craft brewery and is experimenting with barrel-aged beer made from broken bats. (Fun fact: Broken bats are often recycled into chopsticks in Japan.)
There is also a ramen terrace that serves ramen from five famous Japanese shops. Food activities such as fried dumpling festivals are often held in the museum. For those who are addicted to soda, the stadium has a unique seating area called the “Coca-Cola Seat” – painted red, of course – that offers unlimited Coca-Cola soft drinks.
Suite at Es Con Field Tower Eleven Hotel in Hokkaido.
Source: Fujii Building
The stadium covers 80 acres Hokkaido Baseball Stadium Village F, It features an adventure park, children’s play area, and golf, baseball and horseback riding simulators. There’s also an area where budding Otani can use their own ground ball. In winter, the grounds transform into a snow park and ice rink.
Tower Eleven Hotel has 12 rooms, 8 of which have field views.
Source: Oliver Horowitz
Additional accommodation is provided for fans seeking a more relaxed environment. Villas near the stadium, all with ash wood interiors and private saunas, can be booked for about $863 a night during games. There is also luxury camping here Baseball Stadium Tracking Station Allpar Inside the hotel, guests can celebrate Warriors wins with a bonfire and barbecue facilities overlooking the stadium.
But if all of these spots are booked — or a bit pricey for your travel budget — baseball fans can just watch the game. General admission tickets start at just $7.
